We all know colleges value community service on a student's application and resume but the reasons might surprise you. When colleges are reading applications, they are looking for students who would not only be a good fit for their campus but also add value to their campus. They want students that can juggle many responsibilities, students that have great time management and are able to work with others. Participating in community service activities helps a student learn these skills but it also shows colleges that the student has a heart. They can infer that a student with significant community service experiences, especially a student who has volunteered at one or two places for a long period of time, is committed to really making a change in their community. The student will probably carry this interest with them to campus and take part in making their college better. Because of this, students should actively seek out community service opportunities throughout their high school careers. They should focus on volunteering at an organization regularly and for a long period of time. It is great to help out at a soup kitchen three or four times a year, but it is so much better to volunteer every Saturday for two years. Students should also think about using community service as a way to gain real world experiences and knowledge that they couldn't get inside a classroom. By regularly volunteering at soup kitchen regularly, a student could, after time, move into a managerial role or work in outreach. Volunteering is a great way develop skills, learn more about career options, make friends, and acquire professional contacts.

With all of this being said, where can students in the Pittsburgh region go to volunteer?

Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy: Volunteers of all ages, interests, and abilities can help out at one day events or more often! This organization has a great program for teens called Urban EcoSteward. This program is for long-term volunteers that work at parks to remove invasive species, plan native flora, slow erosion, and clean up trash.

Tree Pittsburgh: This organization uses volunteers to plan trees in the Pittsburgh region.

Bike Pittsburgh: Bike Pittsburgh organizes OpenStreetsPGH, a family-friendly celebration that creates 3.5 miles to walk, dance, run and play in Downtown.

Just Harvest: Just Harvest is a nonprofit that works to end hunger and poverty in Allegheny County. This organization is always looking for volunteers for many jobs such as outreach, administrative, and market assistant.

American Red Cross: Volunteers are accepted as young as 13 with the youth volunteer application. They offer many volunteer opportunities!